One LP I remember loving was a compilation released by KTEL Records in 1981 called Full Tilt. I can't remember what many of the tracks were, but there are two that I will never forget. One was the Alan Parsons Project song, "Eye in the sky" and the other one was Blondie.
I played "The tide is high" over and over again like a madman. When my parents had a patio built behind our house in the early/mid 80s, I would plug my Mickey Mouse record player in and turn the patio into my own personal roller rink. I'd stay out there for hours, skating around in circles and singing along to whatever record or radio song I was listening to. I would sometimes imagine that one of our neighbors would hear it and think, "My God! That kid can sing!" and I'd be catapulted into a life of fame and fortune.
This never happened.
What's interesting is that as much as I loved "The tide is high" and seem to remember loving "Rapture," I never really got into Blondie until years later, when the soundtrack to Muriel's Wedding came out. It had "The tide is high" and it sparked a forgotten memory for me about how much I loved the song. I also flashed back to some ABBA memories, but that's a story for another time. I immediately checked out more Blondie and Parallel Lines, the two-disc Platinum Collection as well as the recently released Remixed Remade Remodeled became constant residents of my Discman.
It was a revelation to discover that there was more to Blondie than the polished new wave pop of "Tide" and "Heart of glass." I love the ragged and raw stuff like "Hanging on the telephone" and "X offender." I became obsessed with "Dreaming" and "Atomic" and to this day I think that "Fade away and radiate" is one of the most bewitching songs ever.
Check out the video for "The tide is high" or download the track from Amazon:
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